Handstitched

@Spyros I feel your pain & disappointment . It has taken some years, but I have made myself known through ' word of mouth' and attending regular markets( and in the same location at the venue), flyers , cards, and making something fancy to display on my tables, that does get a lot of attention, because thats what they see when they first enter my stall. I get a lot of " oo's & a'hs " and a lot of praise, and further interest that potentially turn into orders. I have tried newspaper advertising , local advertising etc. without much luck, but word of mouth & markets works best, for me at least. However, this f*&^%ing COVID really messed things up for all of us. Thank God for COVID relief for small businesses, otherwise, I'd be out of business. In one way, the lockdowns we had, helped to concentrate the mind , creatively . The other thing I'm glad I did, was to diversify, I repair horse rugs, and do some canvas repairs. So if the leather side of things were slow, or markets are canned , the rugs etc. do help, not entirely, but enough to pay a few bills. But even the rugs have slowed quite a bit lately . So I find myself taking on whatever my hands...and my machines can do these days. And, once upon a time , I had a paper round ( a cashie) that helped too for a time. My first sales....well, my very first market? , I made just under $12.00 All I had was a few key rings, a few book marks, and one or two belts on a small table . I knew nothing about what I was doing. That was 17 years ago . I have learnt so much in that time. As making for making good $$$ , stick with your morning job. It does help to do more than just leather. For those doing leather as a hobby, keep it up for the pure joy of creating something beautiful with their own hands, but don't expect to make a fortune . For me , there were good sales, making good money, it got to a peak, and now its dropped off . I can't blame all of it on COVID . Would be nice to hear from some saddle makers for their point of view ?? Hope this sorta helps, HS

They're known as ' camp ovens' here , all cast iron, same diff. I don't have one,but they're easy to get in different sizes. They can produce some of the best stews etc. Light fire, dig hole, put in hole, put hot coals on top...and wait patiently Can't be any easier than that . Thanks for the recipe idea, sounds morish . Bacon adds a nice smoke to the meat HS

I use an assortment of templates for curves, corners etc. Anything from coins to cardboard tubes and spools that my lace comes on, to the round cardboard piece that comes with a supermarket pizza, depending on the size of the curve /corner . I've also used the base of my glue tin as a template. When making knife cases, the part where the press stud goes on the flap, I use my belt tip cutters for a nice neat shape & cut. HS

Some people do , but Roo is available at our supermarkets. ' Roo burgers' & Kanga Banga's' ( sausages) are also available . Kangaroo tail soup is an Aussie fave. Hearty (but lean) broth . Yeh, you're right about the grill, its well 'seasoned' . It get cleaned quite regularly , as I'm always doing marinated or satay beef/lamb or chicken skewers . Thats messes up the grill a bit. It must make my neighbors jealous though, all these aromas wafting across. Love cooking outdoors

What an awesome view . The last time I dipped my toes in sea water was...?....? The ocean is over 3 hrs away from me. You're making all of us envious, well done safe travels HS

Here ya go my friends, @Frodo & @chuck123wapati Kangaroo steaks were on tonights menu . For those on a low fat diet ( not me) with high protein & iron , these are ideal . Hardly any fat. Just a little salt and pepper seasoning , cooked for 3-4 mins on each side...and thats it. Just like beef steak, they can be seasoned with your fave herbs spices etc. or marinated. Best not to cook for too long due to the low fat content. We are the only country that eats their own national emblem . I have eaten Emu steaks ( pronounced ' eemyoo ') , so tasty, but harder to find and more ex$y. They have a strong game flavour. (My trusty BBQ is about 28 years old , all cast iron, glad I kept it. The newies these days are cheap & thin) HS

Geez that looks so damn good . Yep definitely a recipe book in the making here. Theres an assortment of black pudding recipes , the Scottish recipe is my fave. Not too fatty, but still plenty of flavour, not too spicy either ( like the Irish recipe ) . We're at the tail end of Summer here, April can still produce some warm days , but the cooler nights are making themselves known ... a few months then its our Winter...and its home made soup time , & curries ....YES *fist pump* A bit off topic here, but the best thing about living in the bush ( central wheatbelt WA ) , is the beautiful changing seasons , don't see that in the busy cities. People are too busy to pay attention. HS

@chuck123wapati do you have black pudding ( blood pudding ) over there ? Its an acquired delicacy , but yum

Thats just pure genius. How was that made ? Are you going to market them?

I have a pair of those. Theres a vintage tool association that has attended many fairs etc. I've picked up quite a few leather related tools from them over the years . I think I paid no more than $20 Aust. , that was some years ago . I guess they could be worth more by now . The word ' warranted' would indicate around the 100 year old mark . I have a few of G/B tools in my little collection HS

There was some anxiety for me here in (west) Oz during our lockdowns*, and not knowing when I can get anywhere near my supplier in Perth again ( 2hrs away) . But I was able to get through it with the hardware I already had . *It also gave me a chance to finish off some unfinished projects. That period seems so long ago now . HS

Wow !! What a beauty. Thats one machine on my ' bucket list' , perhaps not as tall as that one though. HS

Yeh I agree. I'll be stocking up on leather & supplies in the coming months as theres so much uncertainty with costs, fuel, freight etc. , I'll stock up while I can get it. Our shop shelves are still mostly empty too. HS

@Spyros Just ordered x 16 black roo hides from Packers Qld. It was a " last chance offer" . Some are o/runs, and some are rejects. Don't need them right now, ...but... ....they are good for soft phone & assorted cases, bags , repairs , etc. and black being a popular and common colour . ' Black goes with anything' . HS

One method I have used in the past, for a carved piece for eg. flowers, I use a small brush on the flowers ( only) with a super sheen sealer, perhaps a few coats, let dry fully , and then apply the antique dye on the main body and over the now sealed flowers using a swab, but quickly wiping off any excess with a slightly damp cloth. The outside/main body is dyed, but the flowers remain natural . There might be a little dye on the flowers , but hardly , and thats it. Its fiddly I know, but it works. Another technique I learnt from somewhere on this site in the early days: I used to put my antiques directly on dry leather, with varied ( and unsatisfactory) and blotchy results. Then I started to put some oil , like neatsfoot, or phane oil over the stamped/ carved pattern , let soak in , and then I apply the antiques and cut back with a damp cloth. All the antique dye stayed in the stampings/carvings with much better results . I've been doing that ever since. HS

If it was me making that decision, I'd be going for the Consew. Mainly because its a common recognisable and reliable brand, and for the availability of parts . I don't know too much about the Mach 3 . Have you seen any user reviews regarding the Mach 3 ? HS

They're called emery boards. Don't ask me how I know that and I won't ask you about the make up aisle ..?? But it is a great idea for fiddly items . ' Q' tips or ear buds are great use too in leather work , dyes, adhesives etc.

There are some items that can only be sewn by hand.

That looks quite good What is the contents out of general interest ? Is the press stud pressing against whatever is inside ? HS

I tried that link, it didn't work, it froze my computer up . It may work better on a newer computer.

Op Shops are a good source of old or unusual , weird & wonderful buckles, & hardware and various haberdashery . My Mother sews & knits a lot, she finds buttons, knitting needles etc. patterns ( sometimes rare) that she can use. Good way to recycle too @Spyros I also take advantage of ' specials' , and any discontinued items that are heavily discounted, I may not need them at the time....but.. HS

The young chap is a little young to run a butcher shop ...just kidding I feel your craving, I've looked everywhere for them . Nothing comes close. Now to make our cravings worse: bacon steaks cooked over hot coals, with fresh eggs, a few sausages, and black pudding ( aka blood pudding, or blood sausage....Scottish recipe) , and fresh hot damper ( Aussie bush bread ) , and perhaps a beer . Sorry HS

I always over order these days. I once only used to buy a ' few of these, and a couple of those' etc. But now I find I'm ordering stuff in bulk, buckles , rivets in the 1000's etc. Its a case of rather having too much than not enough . Nothing more frustrating than having one piece of h/ware, or some dye short for a customer order. . I also buy stuff that , at the time , I don't really need, or I don't think I need , but I buy it anyway, it may come in handy later. Some excess stock can be sold on at markets etc. You'd be surprised what people ask for sometimes. So, no you're not an idiot HS

Thats largely down to 'some' parents, they can be just as annoying as the kids. Hope they were sanitised ? Ha !! . On some items that haven't sold, I have marked some prices to make them "look" like they've been reduced. For eg. If an item is say, $50 , I'll alter the price tag and put "was $70" . A bit sneeky , but it has shifted some old stock. HS

@Frodo I've tried looking for those bacon steaks........no chance .I may have to go to some ' boutique' butcher . While on the subject of food, after Christmas, when the turkey & ham have done their dash, both the carcass & bones are frozen for Winter and then used for some really hearty & tasty soups. Yummo HS